


The Refuge.

by Jack_Francis_Kelly



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jack Needs a Hug, The Refuge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27305362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jack_Francis_Kelly/pseuds/Jack_Francis_Kelly
Summary: Memories from the refuge trips as Snyder tells everyone what Jack has done to earn himself a trip.
Kudos: 26





	The Refuge.

**“His is not a pleasant story. He was first sentenced to my Refuge for loitering and vagrancy.-”**

_Jack had fallen asleep, curled up on the cold winter streets of New York. He was freezing. He couldn’t afford a night at the lodging house due him just spending the last of his money on whatever food he could get. He refused to cry but he sure wanted to. People gave him the most disgusted looks, breaking his heart. He had only just turned ten and didn’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. That's when a cop came up to him, Jack had hope, maybe he’d help him. But instead, the man grabbed the shivering boy, rather aggressively and cuffed him. Jack was too frozen and confused to move so the man then picked him up and walked him to a waggon, which took him to the refuge. Jack had heard about this place from the older boys. He knew it wasn’t a good or safe place. He knew they targeted kids like him. He knew he had to be brave. The officer took him inside, to the Warden. Charles Snyder. Young Jack stood there cold and terrified._

_“What did he do?” He asked, he seemed annoyed._

_“Loitering and Vagrancy.”_

_“In this weather? Boy are you cold?”_

_“A bit, sir.” He said, teeth chattering._

_“A bit?”_

_“A lot.”_

_“Get this boy, um-”_

_“J-Jack. Jack Kelly.”_

_“Get Kelly a blanket, and uncuff him.” He said. The men listened, walking away, leaving them alone._

_“How old are you, Jack Kelly.”_

_“Ten.”_

_“Ten. Any parents?”_

_“No sir.”_

_“Sorry to hear that.”_

_“‘S okay…” He shrugged._

_“Do you live on the streets?”_

_“N-No. Normally I stay at the lodge… but I was havin' a bad s-sellin’ week and couldn’t afford ta be there tanight.”_

_“Oh yeah? The lodge house you say?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“With all those News boys.”_

_“Yes sir.”_

_“Are you one of them?”_

_“Yes sir.”_

_“So you’d end up here eventually any way.”_

_“No.. I don’t think so-”_

_“You would.” The men came back with a blanket._

_“Thank you…” Jack said with a small smile, wrapping himself up.”_

_“For a Newsie you have quite a lot of manners.”_

_“Poppa taught me ta be nice until someones mean ta you.”_

_“Oh did he now?”_

_“Mhm,” The man darkly grinned._

_“Lock this one in the basement.”_

_“The boys said the bad kids go down there…”_

_“Well Kelly, you did break the law did you not?”_

_“I-I guess.”_

_“Basement”_

_He was thrown down, freezing cold. He curled up in the corner shivering. After wat felt like hours the man came down to the shivering boy._

_“Cold down here huh?”_

_“Yes…”_

_“Colder than the streets?”_

_“W-Well I got a blanket n-now so no.” He shivered. The man yanked him up._

_“Which one of those boys are you closest with?”_

_“Um… Red, Blue, Backbone, Egghead kinda-”_

_“Oh my. You’d end up here quite a lot then.”_

_“I-I would?”_

_“With them as your influence? Absolutely.”_

_“O-Oh.”_

_“In fact I should teach you a lesson right now.”_

_“But… It ain’t like I did nothing too bad… I didn’t steal or fight or-”_

_“No. And we’re going to make sure you don’t.” He said._

_He left after about an hour, leaving Jack near tears in the basement. This place was horrible. The boy eventually made it out. All the boys were glad to see him. The next time he sold, he saw a boy on the street. He was not letting that kid make the same mistake he did, so he ran over._

_“Hey kid… shouldn’t be hear, cops’ll come fer ya.”_

_“Oh…Thanks…”_

_“No problem… you got folks?”_

_“Nah… not any more…”_

_“How old are ya?”_

_“Eight. Almost nine.”_

_“Need a place ta stay? You can be a newsie if ya want.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yep! I’s Jack Kelly.”_

_“I's Antonio Higgins.”_

  
  


**“-But his total disregard has made him a frequent visitor.”**

_Jack had gone back, the older he got the more disrespectful he was. The now 12 year old was at his 3rd visit._

_“You don’t learn huh?”_

_“Naw. Plus it was funny. The guy was askin fer it.”_

_“Kelly. You’re a child. Children listen to adults do you understand me-”_

_“Sorry, what was that? Wasn’t listenin.” He said with a grin._

_“You’re so disrespectful it’s almost impressive.”_

_“Almost? What do I gotta do ta make it fully impressive, Snyda the Spida.”_

_“You can stop calling me that.”_

_“Nah… think that helps me gain disrespectful points.”_

_“Also earns you getting yourself hurt points.”_

_“Oh I’s sure.”_

_“Now, officer Carter said you were back talking an adult. Outside of a bar. This true?”_

_“Yeah. He was sayin’ my pal Race was cheatin. Racer don’t cheat he’s all luck. So I had ta stick up fer the kid. Guy was angry. Red as a tomato. Threatened ta get Racer in trouble fer somethin’ he didn’t even do. So when he called a cop over n’ I started laughin, officer Carta jus’ assumed I was guilty. Now I don’t think me stickin up fer my pal n’ maybe throwin out some insults deserves jail time but here we are.”_

_“This place is also here to keep the youth in line Kelly. You were out of line. Now you’re here.”_

_“Kay, n’ what if I had folks huh? Wouldn’t be here right. ‘S stupid. You just want money n’ I know it.”_

_“Lock him in the basement. Alone.”_

_“Till ya come n’ beat me.”_

_“Tomorrow. I know you hate being down there in the dark alone. Go and think about what you've done. Both outside and in my office.”_

_“Fine.” He said, getting himself locked down there. He sat curled up in the dark. He hated the dark. He hated this place. He hated Snyder. He eventually god himself to sleep, panicked the entire night. Snyder woke him up and began his ‘lesson’ which left Jack much more hurt than he’d show. That didn’t stop him from talking back to make the other kids laugh. Finally he was released. He made his way home, promising Race and the new kid, Crutchie, he wouldn’t go back and if he did he was breaking out, he had ideas._

  
  


**“You called him a thief? An escaped convict?”**

**“After his escape I caught him myself. Red handed. Trafficking stolen food and clothing. He was last sentenced to six months but the willful ruffian escaped.”**

_It had been a while since Jack had gone, four whole years. They saw him on the street every once in a while, they’d chase him, he’d get away. It was getting colder, reminding him of that time six years ago when he was sentenced to jail while shivering on the streets. He would not let that happen again, to himself or anyone. He stole food and clothes. Lots of it, and gathered all the kids, even some he didn’t know, just to keep people safe. New clothes for Race, a new blanket for Albert, matching hats for Mike and Ike, gloves for Henry, a scarf for Finch, new socks for Crutchie. Everyone got something. They would all be warm. He then handed out food. They were all so grateful._

_Then a had grabbed his wrist._

_“Relax bud everyone will get some-” He laughed a bit before turning his head. Snyder. Snyder caught him red handed._

_“Run.” he said to his boys. Race picked up Crutchie and they all made it out. They knew Jack would be livid if they didn’t. They just hoped he’d get away from Snyder too._

_Snyder laughed._

_“Red handed.”_

_“I-”_

_“You what? You ended up where I said you would. I told you you'd end up stealing.”_

_“I-”_

_“You did. Now I have you for six months. Unless you want to expand that by misbehaving.”_

_Oh I’m gonna shorten it._

_“Mhm….” He said as the man dragged him off. The kids there all knew who Jack was. It was no secrete Snyder was obsessed with having Jack around. And now he had him. Jack sat across, arms crossed with a glare._

_“Don’t look at me like that as if you weren't breaking the law.”_

_“Fuck you.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“You heard me. I said it. Don’t act shocked.” The man beat Jack right after that._

_Every day._

_For three months._

_Then Teddy Roosevelt came, as exciting as it was, Jack was in too much pain to care. He just knew he had to get out. He was forced to give a sob story about how he was taken in by Snyder after being beat on the street and how Snyder took care of him. He hated the lies, but he had to do it to survive. Still, he made it out. Right on Roosevelt’s carriage. He grinned at all the cameras knowing full well this would make the papers._

_He never was caught by Snyder again. Until,_

**“Mr. Pulitzer. The boy, Jack Kelly, is here.”**

**Author's Note:**

> sorry Jackie, love you lots
> 
> happy halloween everyone!!


End file.
